The invention is in the field of circular lamp units, such as screw-in units having a circular fluorescent lamp and a ballast reactor.
Various types of screw-in circular fluorescent lamp units have been devised, for use in ceiling sockets and in table lamps and floor lamps. A typical unit has a central housing containing a ballast reactor and provided with a screw base, and a circular fluorescent lamp surrounds the reactor housing and is held thereby by means of brackets or spokes attached to and extending from the housing. When screwing the lamp unit into the socket of a floor or table lamp having a harp which supports a lamp shade, the harp must be removed while the lamp unit is being screwed into the socket, whereupon the lamp is re-attached by inserting it between or among the lamp unit's brackets or spokes. This is necessitated by the harp being dimensioned to flank an incandescent type of of light bulb, whereas the circular fluorescent lamp is considerably larger in diameter. The circular fluorescent lamp unit is somewhat heavy because of the weight of the reactor, and because of this and the surrounding structure of the circular lamp and its support brackets it is somewhat awkward and difficult to screw it into a socket and also to unscrew it from a socket.